Teemu Wirkkala (FIN) - European Junior champion (© Hasse Sjogren)
In the absence of Finland’s best thrower Tero Pitkämäki, the European silver medallist, the 37th edition of the world famous Javelin Carnival meet in Pihtipudas, Finland, was won yesterday by 23-year-old Teemu Wirkkala.
Wirkkala, the 2003 European Junior champion, made a last round 83.24m release which is a World Championships “A” qualification mark. He already had the Osaka standard thanks to his personal best of 84.06m (3 June), and which currently stands him as the ninth furthest thrower in the world of 2007.
Pitkämäki was absent having thrown his season’s best of 89.70m to win the meeting in Paris in Friday (6) which keeps him as a contender for the $1 Million IAAF Golden League Jackpot.
The women’s event in Pihtipudas was won by Mikaela Ingberg with 59.28m. The former World and European bronze medallist is returning after a finger injury on her throwing hand.
The two male throwers are among the first batch of selections which the Finnish Federation have announced for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug to 2 Sep), with the final squad being declared by the deadline on 13 August after the national championships.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
There are six athletes selected in the first batch for Osaka:
Name/ club/ season’s best
Marathon:
Janne Holmen IF Åland 2:14:20
Francis Kirwa Lahden Ahkera 2:14:38
50km Race Walk:
Antti Kempas Tuusulanjärven Urheilijat 3:57:59
Jarkko Kinnunen Jalasjärven Jalas 3:56:54 (-06)
Javelin Throw:
Tero Pitkämäki Nurmon Urheilijat -99 89.70
Teemu Wirkkala Toholammin Urheilijat 84.06
RESULTS from Javelin Carnival – 8 July 2007
Men
1) Teemu Wirkkala 83.24
(76.06, 78.22, 75.98, x, 80.09, 83.24),
2) Esko Mikkola 79.66
3) Tero Järvenpää 79.46
4) Harri Haatainen 77.78
5) Jarkko Koski-Vähälä 77.50
6) Antti Ruuskanen 77.13
7) Viljo Toivanen 75,03
8) Mikko Löppönen 74.26,
Women
1) Mikaela Ingberg 59.28
(51,98, 58,17, x, 53,63, 56,09, 59,28)
2) Taina Kolkkala 58.40
3) Pauliina Laamanen 56.63
4) Jelena Jaakkola 52.21
5) Merja Pitkänen 47.87
6) Oona Sormunen 47.06.
